WEBVTT SOLEDAD: I'M SOLEDAD O'BRIEN.WELCOME TO MATTER OFTHE YEAR WAS 1967 -- THESO-CALLED SUMMER OF LOVE. YET IN CITIES AROUND THE COUNTRYTHERE WAS ANGER IN THE AIR.AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITIESEXPLODED IN VIOLENCE OVER POLICEBRUTALITY AND INADEQUATEHOUSING, JOBS, SCHOOLS, ANDSOME CALLED IT A RIOT; OTHERS AREBELLION.WHAT IS CERTAIN ISTHE MOST DESTRUCTIVE AND DEADLYUNREST IN THE UNITED STATESSINCE THE 1863 DRAFT RIOTSDURING THE CIVIL WAR.IN THE END, DETROIT HAD 43 DEAD,1100 INJURED, OVER 7200 ARRESTSAND MORE THAN 2000 BUILDINGS DESTROYED.DETROIT, 1967.A CITY IN FLAMES.>> A LOT OF THE SMOKE WAS RIGHTUP IN HERE ON 12TH STREET, WHICHIS WHAT IT WAS CALLED THEN.SOLEDAD: DISTURBANCES BEGAN ON12TH STREET, SINCE RENAMED ROSAPARKS BOULEVARD.THEY STARTED SPOTANEOUSLY AFTERA ROUTINE POLICE RAID ON ANILLEGAL BAR, OR WHAT LOCALSCALLED, A BLIND PIG.DAN MCKANE WAS A YOUNG STREETCOP IN DETROIT'S TACTICAL MOBEUNIT.SOLEDAD: HOW WOULD YOU HAVEDESCRIBED THE DETROIT POLICEDEPARTMENT IN 1967?DAN: WELL, IT WAS MAJORITY WHITEMALE.SOLEDAD: LORETTA HOLMES WAS INTHAT BLIND PIG THAT NIGHT, TOWELCOME BACK SOLDIERS COMINGHOME FROM VIETNAM.SUDDENLY, POLICE BURST IN.LORETTA: THEY TOOK USDOWNSTAIRS, TO ABOUT FOUR -- I'SAY THREE OR FOUR PADDY WAGONS.AND OH, MY GOD.IT WAS A MILLION PEOPLE OUTTHERE.IT WAS LIKE, SOMEBODY GOT ON ABULLHORN AND SAID, COME TO 12THAND CLAIRMOUNT.SOLEDAD: THE ANGRY CROWD OUTSIDEEXPLODED INTO FIVE DAYS OF FULLOUT VIOLENCE.IN THE YEARS THAT FOLLOWED,DETROIT FELL ON HARD TIMES.THE AUTO INDUSTRY WAS HIT BY ANOIL CRISIS AND FOREIGNCOMPETITION.THERE WERE TWO DECADES OFGOVERNMENT CORRUPTION.THE 2008 GLOBAL FINANCIAL CRASHHIT DETROIT PARTICULARLY HARD.THEN IN 2013, DETROIT BECAME THELARGEST MUNICIPALITY EVER, TOFILE FOR BANKRUPTCY.TODAY, DETROIT POLICE AREADAMENT THAT THEY ARE TRYING TOREPAIR THE RELATIONSHIP WITH THEPUBLIC.THEY'VE TRAINED POLICE OFFICERIN ALL 12 PRECINCTS TO BUILDSTRONGER COMMUNITY TIES.OFFICER DONALD PARKER.HOW DO YOU BUILD TRUST IN ANEIGHBORHOOD?DONALD PARKER: BUILDING NOW ISUS FILTERING IN THE COMMUNITY,SAYING 'HI' TO MRS. JONES.AND SAYING 'HEY, WE'RE HERE,WE'RE TOUCHABLE, WE'REREACHABLE.' LET THEM KNOW NOTOBE AFRAID OF US.SOLEDAD: THE COMPOSITION OF THEFORCE HAS ALSO CHANGED.IN 1967 IT WAS JUST 5% AFRICANAMERICAN.TODAY IT IS ABOUT 65% AFRICANAMERICAN, INCLUDING THE CHIEF,JAMES CRAIG.JAMES CRAIG: WELL, WHAT HAPPENED50 YEARS AGO, I CAN'T SAY WOULDNEVER HAPPEN IN DETROIT, BECAUSETHERE'S STILL ISSUES.WHILE WE HAVE AN ABOVE AVERAGERELATIONSHIP WITH THE COMMUNITY,THERE'S THE ISSUE OFOPPORTUNITIES AND WHILE THE CITYHAS MADE A MAJOR TURNAROUND,THERE'S STILL THIS BELIEF THATWHILE THE TURNAROUND ISHAPPENING IN CERTAIN PARTS OF THE CITY, IT'S NOT INSOLEDAD: A SIGN OF THE WORKREMAINING TO BE DONE, THEPOVERTY RATE FOR AFRICANAMERICANS WAS 40% IN 2014--TWICEWHAT IT WAS IN 1970.THE CITY STRUGGLES WITHSEGREGATION, INADEQUATE HOUSING,SCHOOL TEST SCORES AND ANDGRADUATION RATES ARE THE LOWESTIN THE NATION.MORE THAN A MILLION PEOPLE HAVELEFT THE CITY OF DETROIT SINCE1959.LORETTA: WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHINTHERE'S NOTHING THERE ANYMORE.SOLEDAD: SO WHAT HAPPENED TO THENEIGHBORHOODS?LORETTA: PEOPLE MOVED OUT.SOLEDAD: ANICKA GOSS-FOSTER ISWITH FUTURE CITIES DETROIT,WHICH IMAGINES MODERN DAY USESFOR BLIGHTED PROPERTIES.GOSS-FOSTER'S FOCUS IS THE NEXT50 YEARS.ANICKA: THINGS AREN'T HAPPENINGAS QUICKLY AS THEY WANT IT TOHAPPEN, AND THEY CERTAINLYAREN'T HAPPENING AT A RATE WHEIT SHOULD HAPPEN, BUTIF YOU REALLY PUSHEDTHERE ARE A LOT OF GOOD THINGSHAPPENING ALL OVER THE CITY.SOLEDAD: LORETTA HOLMES STAYEDBEHIND.SHE MENTORS STUDENTS AT HER ALMAMATER -- DETROIT'S CENTRAL HIIS THE CITY OF DETROIT BETTEROFF THAN IT WAS BEFORE?LOREINTERVIEWER: IN THE 60S?LORETTA: NO.BECAUSE -- SOLEDAD: BETTER THAN 5 YEARSAGO?LORETTA: THAN FIVE YEARS AGO?I CAN SEE THE CHANGE.I REALSOLEDAD: CHANGE THAT, FOR ACITY WITH A HISTORY OF STRUGGLE

Detroit: From 1967 to Today

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Updated: 2:31 PM MDT Jul 28, 2017

In the summer of 1967, violent clashes and angry protests erupted in the city of Detroit after police raided an illegal bar in the city’s African American community. Locals felt particularly targeted by the police. The police faced off against citizens over five days, the worst in a series of civil unrest in cities across the nation. Today, witnesses say Detroit has never been the same. Soledad O’Brien revisits the city still confronting its past.